Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 June 2025
192. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a list of all dispatchable electricity generators currently operating within the single electricity market (SEM) (details supplied), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31397/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe CRU, ESB Networks and EirGrid have dedicated contact email address for Deputies should they wish to raise matters of concern or seek updates on investments in the national electricity grid: oireachtas@cru.ie or oireachtas@esb.ie or oireachtas@eirgrid.ie .
The 2025 All-Island Resource Adequacy Assessment, published by EirGrid in March 2025, contains a detailed overview of registered capacity of dispatchable generation and interconnectors in Ireland in 2025, including name, fuel type, generator type, and MW capacity. This information can be found in Appendix 3 of the assessment, which can be downloaded at www.eirgrid.ie/news/new-eirgrid-analysis-examines-balance-between-electricity-demand-and-supply-ireland-over-10. The map of Ireland’s transmission system and generation assets can be found here: www.eirgrid.ie/grid/how-grid-works/irelands-grid/.
The Government has set a target of having at least 2GW of new flexible gas-fired generation by 2030 in our Climate Action Plans to ensure secure generation of electricity at times of low renewable output and/or high demand. The CRU, EirGrid and my Department are supporting the ongoing delivery of 2GW of new flexible generation capacity procured through capacity market auctions. The operation of the capacity market auctions is undertaken by the Single Electricity Market Operator (SEMO) under the oversight of the Single Electricity Market Committee (SEMC). The CRU is part of the Single Electricity Market Committee (SEMC) which decides on the volumes to be procured in the capacity market, in what regions of the grid, and the resulting costs.
Temporary Emergency Generation (TEG) capacity has now been delivered in four locations, namely, North Wall and Huntstown in Dublin, Shannonbridge, County Offaly, and Tarbert, County Kerry. Additionally, Moneypoint power station is converting from coal to heavy fuel oil and has been contracted to remain open until 2029 as an “out of market” unit to provide power only when required by the system operator for electricity security.
Power operators are legally mandated to hold secondary fuel, typically oil, as a back-up on site for the purposes of fuel switching where necessary. This mandate amounts to a supply of either 3 days or 5 days (site dependent). Currently the units are tested on secondary fuel (operated at full output for 1hr on secondary fuel).
